To ask why the England team (the men) keep falling at the final hurdle, (well virtually at the final hurdle,) at the football World Cup ... and The Euros too?

[GorgeousSpringtime]

Not an England-team bashing thread, but why, oh WHY do they - the men - keep falling at the final hurdle (well, virtually the final hurdle,) every time at the football (soccer) World Cup - and the Euro Cup too...?

They do so well, and get so far, and then BANG they're out. Nearly always in the top 8, or top 4, (and the top 2, in the World Cup once, and a couple of times in the Euros I think,) but never the winner. (Not since 1966 anyway!)

Is it nerves? Is it that they're so anxious to win that they keep making silly mistakes? Are they just not quite good enough? WHAT IS IT? Why do they keep getting so close, but just never manage to get the win?!

As I said, I am not bashing them, and they did well, and I am proud of them, but I just get so frustrated that they can't quite ever get the win!

!

Because its the world cup, the competition is fierce! Getting to the top 4 is an excellent result.

argentina barely attacked at all in the first half.

They attacked over and over in the final ten minutes of the game.

Timing is important.

Once Argentina got the first goal, I knew that they were going to go for another goal straight away - to stop it going into extra time of thirty minutes.

@Gloriia

why don’t you find it as entertaining? Is it just that you like looking at the fit men running around? 😜

If your significant other went on and on and on annd on about something they did 60 years ago , prattling on every bloody year, you would divorce them, with good reason. The Aussies dont call the english the whingeing poms for nothing.

Exactly

Not the second verse.

Bring me my bow of burning gold
Bring me my arrows of desire ....
Bring me my chariot of fire

I will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand

Honestly could be better and great tune to boot

During the pandemic Gary Neville put homeless people in his hotel for free.

The premier league brings in over a billion in tax every year

Most clubs have outreach programmes to support their local areas

Players such as Didier Drogba and Mo Salah have invested and donated millions to help the poor in their own countries

Do you feel the same about the high wages other entertainers get paid? Musicians, actors etc? Or is your issue purely with footballers

Do you think that Argentina scoring a second goal JUST before it went to extra time was a coincidence?

They talk about everything, including timing

Yeah Ive an issue with entertainers too.

AS a society we have our focus totally wrong. We pay huge obscene money to footballers snd entertainers, while we let thousands and thousands of people sleep in the cold on the streets.

I was in London last weekend for the day. I walked past six homeless people on a five minute walk

It's very simple England - got to the level that they are.
They are among the top four teams in the world - along with Argentina, France and Spain and they got to the last four of the competition.
At that point "anyone can beat anyone else" as proven by Spain beating France (who were serious favourites to win the whole thing) and like France, England just fell short on the day.

I don't think the UK press make out England is bound to win at all do they? If anything, it's the opposite. They are usually doom and gloom and expect to lose. I've been in France and all the media hype around that team getting into the semis was just the same.

As for the Engldnd men's teams, I sort of know what you mean OP, because last night England were playing amazingly well (I thought anyway), but then seemed to lose confidence or speed or 'something' after they scored the first goal. But people are saying it was because Argentina substituted for an attack-focused side, whereas England's manager hardly substituted anyone and their tactic was to play more defensively? Maybe, maybe not - I don't know.

Ultimately, World Cup fever only happens once every 4 years. Thank god for that. A team wins. Then everyone forgets all about it. They all did really well and the sports press will find something else to drivel on about next week.

That applies to all champagne socialists, not just the footballers.

It also applies to the footballers.

I've just said that but if you can't see anyone but footballers as being champagne socialists, you're biased.

England are one of the best teams in the world, hasn't always been the case but since Southgate it is expected we will get to the semis. Doesn't make us the best team in the world though. Saying that we should have been able to beat Argentina

I never wrote that.

we are talking about the footballers on this thread.

They played a game of football. Someone wins, someone loses. They did well to get where they did.

Yes we are but overpaid socialists aren't just restricted to football. If you're talking about society being screwed that's not just down to overpaid prima donnas.

Well they were up against a decent team with a genius playing. And he won it for them.

I didn't say it was. I wanted to discuss the footballers specifically on a thread about football.

I mean the English women's team did better ...to actually win a competition.

A genius who was happy to prance around a political banner. It's going to be an interesting season for the other Argie players who play in the premiership. Happy to take the English money while rubbing their team mates' noses in it with that political message. It's great that fans have long memories.

'Genius' God I hate people who treat Messi like he's a messiah.

Another example of how fu...cked up our world is.

People value someone that can kick a ball over people that do nearly anything else

Because we’re the 4th best team in the world, not the best team. Good enough (nowadays) to beat most teams, but still not as good as France, Spain, Argentina. Sometimes the underdogs win, though, which is why there’s so much hope, because it’s not that much of a stretch for us to have an amazing game and squeeze past one of those teams.

In terms of why we can’t quite get there, there is a tendency to choose tactically defensive managers which hasn’t worked out for us, pressure and media negativity, lack of confidence against the big teams, and lack of adaptability.